Fortunate Youth?? Is that the name of the band in the studio, OMG. Get a clue billboard. This type of commercialization is soo extreme in house music right now too but talented and creative music also lives on just not making $200k per hour when they are performing and the scene around it is way more fun and real. Nice one BV, I had no idea about this popularity of reggae. Rasta is music for the unfortunate youth in babylon.

QuoteDJ Treez
What you say? Non Jamacains hitting the charts under the guise of reggae? Never heard of that before.

That's so funny you put this is up. It made me realize this was the first reggae somg I listened to and know the words to. (The words prolly weren't right either). This came out when I was in 5thor 6th grade. I didn't start listening to Bob until 9-10 grade. Who bought the Snow tape "12 niches deep". I think I'm going to bring Informer back into my DJ set. I still like the song.
Also the link to the video didn't work for me so he's an article for anyone else that missed it. Big up all the California Reggae Band. I
Has anyone listened to Rebelution's Remixed EP? It's great. They took thier super soft sound and had Zion-I make some re mixes. The one with Juinor Reid is getting maaaaddd forwards at our reggae night. It's free to download. Just google search Rebelution ReMix EP or you can but it online. The band won't mind if you download it free. That's what it was originally intended for.

Soja, an Arlington-Virginia group, is among those on the charts! News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. April 5, 2013: The musical genre of reggae may have originated in the largely black country of Jamaica and with Rastafarians but in the United States today, there is a gentrification of the genre.

Seven out of the top ten reggae chart toppers this week on the Billboard reggae chart are all largely White and Americans.
At the top, sits Christafari, a Christian reggae band formed in 1990 and led by a white singer named Mark Mohr with ‘Reggae Worship: A Roots Revival.’
Coming in at number two Josh Heinrichs, the former lead singer of internationally known indie reggae band, Jah Roots from Springfield, Missouri, with ‘Rooftop Session.’

Rebelution’s ‘Peace Of Mind,’ a white band from Santa Barbara, California, has been forced into number three, after peaking at number one and staying on the charts for the past 63 weeks.

Fortunate Youth, a group of young white guys who say they are simply a group combined of South Bay Reggae stand-outs from various bands on the west coast, are at number four with their album, ‘It’s All A Jam.’

And in the number five spot is Jewish reggae singer Matisyahu’s ‘Spark Seeker,’ which has been on the charts for 36 weeks.

Miska, a Bermuda-born white reggae singer signed to Matthew McConaughey’s record label, j.k. livin, is at fifth with ‘Ocean Is My Potion’ while Soja, another white group based in Arlington, Virginia in the Northern Virginia/Washington D.C. area., is at number 6 ‘With Strength To Survive.’

Apart from ‘Marley: The Original Soundtrack,’ at number six; a compilation of reggae singers on Reggae Gold from VP Records at number 9 and ‘Rebirth,’ by Jimmy Cliff at number 10, all the other singers on the chart are non-Jamaican and largely white.

“Reggae is open to the world so I think personally Jamaicans new focus on dancehall than reggae now is why you will see other people coming in and taking over this industry,” is how Jamaican-born Shaun Walsh, of Whatz Up TV, NY explained the new fascinating trend.

“Reggae is Jamaica’s gift to the world and the Jamaican reggae community and Jamaicans all over can be proud of the acceptance of this gift and its dispersion throughout the world,” added Sharon Gordon, another Jamaican national and founder of The Coalition to Preserve Reggae Music, a global movement that unites reggae lovers in an effort to raise the bar in the creation, development promotion and presentation of reggae music.

But she stressed that the reality for Jamaica is that “there exists a troubling reality of inequity and inadequacy; inequity in access for Jamaicans to international markets and marketing and inadequate business practices in nurturing this cultural product.”

Hear more from Felicia Persaud on One Caribbean Television on Thursday, April 4, 2013!

Gentrification of anything is bad for the one's that are not gentry. This is what's up an agenda to use a sufferer's music to seem cultural to another culture, to me it's a high form of disrespect. It's still not reggae if it's a hybrid . "Babylon's a bandit". I feel JA artiste need to acknowledge the one's who are doing the gentrification and avoid them at all cost. "Aluta Continua"

QuoteRootikal
Gentrification of anything is bad for the ones that are not gentry. This is what's up an agenda to use a sufferer's music to seem cultural to another culture, to me it's a high form of disrespect. It's still not reggae if it's a hybrid . "Babylon's a bandit". I feel JA artiste need to acknowledge the ones who are doing the gentrification and avoid them at all cost. "Aluta Continua"

Are you talking about musicians like Rusty Zinn? Should JA artists "avoid him at all cost"? If not, why would he be excluded from the other US reggae musicians that are committing a "high form of disrespect"?

What about the current JA gangster style dj's that chat and glorify slackness while they flaunt red gold and green in their costumes? Isn't it their "agenda to use a sufferer's music (70's roots reggae) to seem cultural to another culture (western culture)"?

Lets not forget that historically JA music has vultured (emulated) way more culture from US music than the other way around. That's music evolving, and I think that is just fine as long as the music is good. When I track down the roots of the different genres of music that I love, I always find that each genre has borrowed and interpreted from another which eventually results in their own unique sound. All art is the same way.

"Gentrification" of reggae would be Bob Marley & Peter Tosh's fault, they are the ones that took the sound worldwide. Music is universal and since Bob & Peter, JA does not own reggae.

"But she stressed that the reality for Jamaica is that “there exists a troubling reality of inequity and inadequacy; inequity in access for Jamaicans to international markets and marketing and inadequate business practices in nurturing this cultural product.”

This is an interesting point. Forget about the genre, it would be easier for any band to gain resources, tour and create a fan base if they were based in America as opposed to JA. There are simply more resources and oportunities here.

Lastly, I feel that acknowledgement of reggae in mainstream, and even bands that are influenced by reggae ("hybrids" ) , come more out of respect than of disrespect. Rather than JA artists putting energy into organizing against "gentrification", I would love to see more unity and organization among JA artists to overcome the above mentioned inequity in the industry.

No not a musician like Rusty Zinn who is performong the music he wrote with many JA musicians and Black American musicians. I am talking about bands who say they are reggae acts and know damn well they are not even close to what they are trying to imitate yet have priviliged resources to do so and then term theirselve as Cali Reggae or Rock Reggae that's whom I am referring to!

QuoteRootikal
No not a musician like Rusty Zinn who is performong the music he wrote with many JA musicians and Black American musicians. I am talking about bands who say they are reggae acts and know daman well they are not even close to what they are trying to imitate yet have priviliged resources to do so and then term theirselve as Cali Reggae or Rock Reggae that's whom I am referring to!

IMO, Rusty so out-ranks 98% of those from the USA working in the field of reggae it's not even a contest.

He sings well & soulfully, in an un-forced/non-fake-patois style, his chops are amazing, he can ACTUALLY WRITE good material, and of all the players I have known who are non-Jamaicans, he is part of a very select group that absolutely understands/feels and channels the sonic river and affinities between US & Jamaican music. Hell yeah.

I want to state that I in no way form or fashion feel white americans europeans etc should not perform play or sing reggae . I feel strongly that the young bands calling themselves rock reggae /cali -rock can't even play their instruments well and never really learned to play reggae and that's a fact Jack. Listen to them for yourselves and now there are numerous such bands and more coming daily. The band Sublime was what used to be referred to as a Garage Jam Band and you know this. They were heavy into hard drugs/alcohol and sexual lyrics and that was appealing to their specific fanbase and they added regae beats/riddims to their music also. as far as the Jamaican upper class folks speaking on the state of JA reggae and reggae worldwide si an partial view, get the next opinion just ask the people who will tell you the truth and not kiss ass in doing so. Its seems to me the person who qouted me has the idea that all he/she says is right. Just becaue you can do something doesnt mean you should. I am always happy to see any one regardless fo race supporting authentic reggae as reggae for the people not just a particular fanbase becaue it's the new cool,still that's the nature of things her in Amerikkka! "You say you a rebel and yet you fight against the rebels". it
states clearly what this thread is about (gentrification of reggae).is not Fortunate Youth on the Sierra Bill?and are others on this thread saying they suck? I know a ton of real reggae bands that should be in their place..I personally would'nt pay a cent to see one cali rock reggae band not one! On this I stand firm!

Jazz clubs like The Cotton Club were whites only in a black neighborhood. Elvis became the King. You get my point. The US is funny like that. Not knocking white reggae musicians nor deny the fluidity of music, much like religion and art, but there is an undeniable racial aspect to this story rooted in our history.

QuoteJ_72
Jazz clubs like The Cotton Club were whites only in a black neighborhood. Elvis became the King. You get my point. The US is funny like that. Not knocking white reggae musicians nor deny the fluidity of music, much like religion and art, but there is an undeniable racial aspect to this story rooted in our history.

Peace

Many called/few chosen, and the music chooses who it will move through and use as it's channel and conduit---and mere pigmentation isn't a determining factor.

I understand that Tom, but I also know there is, mixed into the equation, a historically-based racial factor that can't be denied. Just as with Rastafari, there is the universal aspect and a more physically-rooted historical/racial aspect.

Exactly and well put J72 i could'nt of said it better myself yet It may have been taken and viewed as a racist statement being I am a Black American Reggae Singer. I put on show with Rusty Zinn af ew months ago as I truly respect the man and his music and his respect for the music and its foundation. I have to say he is one real proffessionally talented blessed and humble singer/songwriter /musicianin my opinion. bless all who do JAH WORKS ! REGARDLESS OF PIGMENTATION! I am not the only one who feels the way I do that has been utilizing reggae music as a means to unite and bring forward a truly positive conscious vibration worldwide! Iperform with a myriad of musicians of many pigments. I still see a certain agenda afoot as J 72 stated it's an American mentality of taking the music of black culture and those who have the privilige to do so calling the shots of who will really get paid. Facts are facts not opinions. One Blessid Love

QuoteJ_72
I understand that Tom, but I also know there is, mixed into the equation, a historically-based racial factor that can't be denied. Just as with Rastafari, there is the universal aspect and a more physically-rooted historical/racial aspect.

Peace

It's a definite fact as I've said before---places such as Kingston or for that matter ay part of Mississippi create more stunning music(ians) than say, oh, Santa Barbara.

Nice interview from the talented and real RZ. I had to crack a smile at: "It features backing from such luminaries as Sly Dunbar, Robbie Lyn, Mikey Chung, Skully, Boris Gardiner, "Stepper" Briard and Herb Daly." Nice list to be included on there Herb! Hope something comes of that Sly colab soon

"I'm gonna put on a iron shirt, and chase the devil out of earth" - Max Romeo